Direction-indicator



W. H. DUNCOMB.

Y I DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, I919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

INVENTOR 3 flan car'ra PATENT OFFICE.

WOLF H. DUNCOMB, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Application filed October 14, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVOLF'H. DUNCOMB, a citizen of the United States residing, at Spokane, in the county of pokane and State of lVashington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for the display of symbols by artificial light and the invention has to do more particularly withan improved direction indicator for vehicles such as are more commonly used on automobiles.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the direction indicator is in the form adapted to be attached in laterally projecting relation to the windshield, and to expose the various signals both forwardly and rearwardly, a special feature being embodied in an adjusting device whereby the direction or signal casing of my improved invention may be adjusted in accordance with the angle of inclination of the windshield.

A further feature of my invention consists in providing a rearwardly facing signal display plate which is substantially at right angles to the line of travel, and a forwardly facing display plate which is at an obique angle'with respect to the direction of travel, and which inclines laterally outwardly thereby greatly facilitating the forward display of signals at all the various angles through which approaching drivers or pedestrians would gaze.

My invention involves a novel form of mirror for the display plates, the mirror being only dimly transparent and function-.

mg only as a mirror when the glowing lamps are out, but also functioning as a transparency when the lamps glow in order to display the symbols making up the signals.

My invention has other novel features of construction which will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and which will be more particularly. pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1, is a plan view, on a relatively reduced scale, showing howthe device of my invention is applied to the, post of a windshield.

Fig. 2, is a rear elevation thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent.

a supporting frame member.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 330,618.

Fig. 8, is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the casing.

Fig. 4, is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 5, is an inside view of one of the mirror plates showing the symbol-bearing card in position abreast of the rear thereof.

Fig. 6, is an exaggerated edge View of the mirror-plate showing in enlarged form the various layers of material thereon.

Fig. 7, is a fragmentary view of the symb zll-bearing card looking toward the obverse s1 e.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, 1 designates a left-hand frame-member of an automobile wind-shield to which the device of my invention is adapted to be secured. I have shown an attaching fitting or clamp device comprising a clamp member 2 and a member 3, of obvious form, secured by a bolt 4. The member 2 has a socket 5 into which one section 6 of a supporting rod is secured.

This improved supporting rod is preferably of tubular form and section 7 thereofis coupled to section 6 in a manner to permit of a'swiveled adjustment so as to dispose the display plates of the signal casing in a vertical position irrespective of the slant or incline of the windshield. As illustrated, section 6 has fixed thereto a sleeve 8 into which section 7 telescopes. Section 7 is provided with adjusting holes 9 into which a screw 10 may be inserted, the screw 10 having threaded engagement with the scribed in' detail as the invention does not apply to this feature.

My improved casing includes a vertically disposed base 14: and an overhanging portion 15, together forming a supporting frame. To the lower end of the base 14: is hinged at 16 a lower member 17 of the casing frame which, however, is not necessarily I have shown the supporting frame member 1 1 and 15 made of relatively heavy material whereas the'remaining portions of the casing may be ture, the part 14 being the bight and the parts 15 and 17 the limbs. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 4, the limbs 15 and 17 converge to an apex but the slant is confined to the forward edges of the limbs, the rear edges being in a plane at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the automobile. Thus the front face of the easing will not only have a greater area than the rear face but it will be disposed at such an oblique angle to the direction of travel that it will easily be in the range of vision from a wide latitude of angles. Thus, without unduly enlarging the casing, I obtain a greater area of front plate exposure as .com pared to the rear plate exposure. The" arrows in Fig. 1 show the wide range of exposure. The member 14 has retaining flanges 18 and 19 and the member 17 has retaming flanges 20 and 21. The member 15 has retaining flanges 22, one only being shown in Fig. 2.

-A front direction plate 23 is disposed behind flanges 19, 21 and 22 and a rear direction plate 24 is disposed behind retaining flanges 18, 20 and 22. These direction plates converge to an apex edge and they are suitably chamfered as shown at 25so that their meeting edges will be practically reduced to a relatively thin line edge. In order to inclose this apex edge I provide a V-shaped guard 26 which extends about said edges of both plates as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This guard is provided on its ends With lugs 27 which extend along the inner faces of the members 15 and 17, as shown in Fig. 3. Of course the thickness of this guard is necessarily exaggerated in order to make the structure clear, but in practice, it will be of very thin metal as it is not called upon to withstand anything but a guarding andhousing stress.

Before describing the manner in which the various parts are held together, I will next refer to the manner in which the casing is illuminated and divided into separate signaling compartments.

Relatively thin partitions 28 and 29,

shaped to correspond to the convergence of the casing, are horizontally disposed therein and provided with downturned flanges 30 and 31 secured to the base 14. Thus the casing is divided into three compartments. Electric lamps 32, 33 and 34 are disposed in said compartments and are shown fixed to the base 14 by clamping nuts 35 and 36. These partitions 28 and 29 are also proportioned to form backing supports for the direction plates 23 and 24 and the symbolbearing cards behind the same.

Means such as a bolt 37 extends through close the hinged portion 17 and the frame 7 member 15 tightly against the upper and lower edges of the deflecting plates 23 and 24 to form a rigid structure. This bolt also performs the additional function of holding the guard 26. The bolt 37 is threaded throu hout the greater portion of its length and c amping nuts 39 and 40 rigidly support the outer end of partition 28 while clamping nuts 41 and 42 rigidly support the outerend of partition 29. If desired, a clamping nut 42 may be turned against one of the lugs 27. Thus it will be seen that by means of this novel form of attaching device and the hinge member 17 that the casing can not only be readily assembled but it can be opened with great facility for the purpose of inserting a new bulb, and

likewise, it can be quickly tightened to take up wear, and prevent rattling should the parts get loose.

The housing 11 is secured to the base 14 by exteriorly disposed screws 44, extending through flanges 45; Thus it will be seen that the wiring can be made accessible by detaching the base 14 from the housing 11 and without taking the casing apart. Likewise, if it is desired to remove the casing this can be done.

I will next refer to my improved mirror direction plate as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The rear face of said plate, which of course is of glass, is coated with the usual silver 46. As a backing for the silver I employ a coating of gelatin 47. The gelatin protects the silver in handling the plate as it is wellknown that a finger mark on the silver would make an imprint and destroy the continuity of the silver facing. If desired, I may employ a protecting coating 48, such as white shellac, over the gelatin, to make for permanence. A mirror plate made as described functions effectively as a mirror and neither in daylight nor darkness can the interior of the casing be seen through such a mirror plate. Even the lettering behind the mirror is not visible and the rear plate 24 affords the driver the usual advantage of observing vehicles in the rear without turning his head. However, when any one of the lamps glow, the symbols on the card about to be described are brilliantly displayed through the mirror as the transparency of the mirror not only lends itself to such display but the silvered surface makes the outlines of the display rays all the more brilliant. Thus it is important to use gelatin and white shellac both of which are transparent, as a backing for the silver.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the symbol card 49, which may be of gelatin or mica, dis-' posed in position. The lateral edges of the partitions 28 and 29 serve to hold this card i 49 against the mirror plate. The card 49 is divided by lines 50 and 51 into three sections, 52, 53 and 54:. The uppersection has the direction word'Right, the middle section, the word Left and the bottom section, the word Stop. I prefer to outline the letters on the card and paint the background black, as shown in Fig. 7, on the rear side of the card. Then the card is coated with red' paint over the black and letters, including the dividinglines 50 and 51 so that when any one of the lamps glow, the directing legend abreast of such lamp will be projected in a red light. The dividing llnes 50 and 51 will be in line with the partitions 28 and 29. These partitions effectively serve to localize the light of the lamp on the legend 'to be illuminated thereby preventing the next adjacent legend from glowlng.

It is believed that the novelty and utility of my invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one spe cific form of my invention, 1 do not'wlsh to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. A direction indicator for vehicles and adapted to be attached in lateral pro ecting relation thereto, comprising a casing having a vertically disposed direction plate facing rearwardly and disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of travel, and said casing having a direction plate faclng forwardly and disposed at an oblique angle to the direction of travel and inclined laterally of the vehicle whereby with a given size casing a front plate of larger area than the rear platecan be, used.

2. A direction indicator for vehicles and adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation thereto, comprising a casing having a relatively short vertically disposed direction plate facing rearwardly and disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of travel, and said casing having a relatively larger area direction plate facing forwardly and disposed at an oblique angle to the direction of travel and inclined laterally of the vehicle, whereby with a given size casing a front plate of larger area than the rear plate can be used.

3. A direction indicator for vehicles and adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation thereto, comprising a casing having a vertical base and provided with a vertically disposed direction plate extending laterally from said base at substantially right angles to the direction of travel and facing rear- .wardly with respect to the direction of travel, said casing having a direction plate facing forwardly and extendingfrom said base inconverging relation with said rearwardly facing plate, whereby with a given size casing a front plate of larger area than the rear-plate can be used.

4 4. A direction indicator adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation to a vehicle, comprising in combination, a U- shaped frame with the bight forming a vertical base and the limbs converging toward apexes, the upper limb and the base being of relatively strong rigid material to form a rigid supporting frame for said casing, the lower limb being hinged to said base, direction plates interposed between said limbs, and means for closing the outer ends of said limbs tightly against the edges of said plates to form a rigid casing.

5. Adirection indicator adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation to a vehicle, comprising in combination, a U- cal base and the limbs converging toward apexes, the upper limb and the base being integral to form a supporting frame for the casing, the lower limb being hinged to said base, direction plartes interposed between said limbs, light separating partitions mounted on said base and dividing the interior of'said casing into compartments and forming backings for said plates, and means for closing said limbs against the upper and lower edges of said plates to form a rigid casing.

6. A direction indicator including a casing having converging upper 'and lower limbs, direction plates interposed between said limbs and converging into abutting relation at their outer ends, a l-shaped guard inclosing said abutting ends and having end lugs in abutting engagement with the inner faces of said limbs, and a bolt device extending through said limbs and said lugs for holding said guard and closing said limbs against the edges of said plates.

direction indicator casing of the classdescribed, comprising in combination, a U-shaped frame with the bight forming the base and the limbs converging toward apexes, light dividing partitions mounted on said base and extending toward said apexes and converging from their base ends toward their outer ends, direction plates interposed between said limbs and having.

a casing frame provided with a direction or signal element, a housing removably secured tov said base, and a rod attachment for the v'ehicle having a section secured to said housing and a rod section for attachment to the Wind-shield of the vehicle, said sections being in adjustable swiveled connection to permit said frame to be adjusted in accordance with the incline of the wind-shield.

9. As a means of displaying a symbol by means of artificial light, a casing having a dimly transparent mirror plate provided with the usual silver facing on its inside face, a coating of gelatin over said silver and a transparent binder such as White shellac over said gelatin to protect the latter, a symbol bearing card back of said mirror, and alamp back of said card.

10. A direction indicator adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation to a vehicle, comprising in combination, a U- shaped frame with the bight forming a vertical base and the limbs convergingtoward apexes, one of the limbs and the base being of relatively strong rigid material to form partments,

a rigid supporting frame for said casing, the remaining limb being openable .for access to said casing, direction plates interposed between said limbs, and means forclosing the outer ends of said limbs tightly against the edges of said plates to form a rigid cas-' ing and prevent rattling.

11. A direction indicator adapted to be attached in lateral projecting relation to a vehicle, comprising in combination a U- shaped frame with the bight forming a vertical base and the limbs converging toward apexes, direction plates interposed between said limbs, light separating partitions dividing the interior of said casing into comand mechanism for closing said limbs against the edges of said plate to form a rigid casing and rigidly supportingeach of said partitions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereby afiix my signature.

WOLF H. DUNCOMB. 

